Robert Russell Corbell III

Robert Russell Corbell III, 64, of Boise, Idaho, passed away at his home on June 17, 2022 from natural causes following a short illness. Known familiarly as “Russ” to friends and “Papa” to grandchildren, he was an intelligent, funny, and generous person who will be greatly missed.

Russ was born on September 4, 1957 at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma. He was the second of four children born to Col. Robert Russell Corbell II and Lanell Tindell Corbell; Russ’s father was a career Air Force pilot and veteran of the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and Russ spent all of his formative years growing up on a number of Air Force bases. He was a precocious child whose curiosity often left him in trouble or injured, but his experimentation and dismantling as a youngster would serve him well later in life as an engineer.

In 1975, Russ graduated from high school in Waco, Texas, and was awarded an ROTC scholarship to attend Texas A&M University. He married in 1978–a union that would last 25 years–and a daughter was born in 1979, followed by a son in 1980. Another daughter followed later in 1991. Working full-time to support his new family, Russ graduated from Texas A&M with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1984.

The family moved to Boise shortly thereafter and Russ went to work for Micron, in addition to serving in the Idaho National Guard. Over the years, he gained experience and continued his education, eventually becoming a Facilities Engineer by the time he left Micron in 2013. He then put his expertise to work at Photronics, where he was still employed at the time of his death.

Russ Corbell is survived by his mother; two sisters and one brother; three children; two grandchildren; and a host of friends and extended family. He was preceded in death by his beloved father. Russ–an avid hunter, hiker, and all-around outdoorsman–asked that no service be held in his honor and that his ashes be scattered in the mountains surrounding Anderson Ranch Reservoir.

In lieu of flowers or donations, the family asks that those who knew Russ consider leaving anecdotes and photos on this page in memory of him.